With February half over and hopefully the cold weather behind us, we look forward to the 2013 show and training season.

We are pleased to once again offer the excellent services of Nicki Butler for clinics and lessons. We are also pleased to introduce Sharon Johnson of Tree Top Acres to the group. Sharon is highly sought after for her knowledge of dressage, stadium jumping and hunters. Another clinician you may find around our acres is April Williams-Ginns. April is a long time student of the British Horse Society and eventer and bring to the group a world of knowledge.

Stay tuned for more information on our upcoming clinics.

We look forward to a successful year both in the saddle and around the farm.

So Sunday we held our first schooling jump show. We decided to not do hunters as too subjective. Besides, jumpers is so much more enjoyable. :) It was a busy week getting ready. A new porta-jon was brought in, a new entrance gate for the arena, tree trimming and grounds clean up. Also last week was painting the standards white and making event and parking signs. All looked great the morning of.

So the turnout was pretty good for our first show. There were several hunters there. Some just getting horses out for the first time and some riders out for the first time. There was a bit of a learning curve, but courses where run and everyone had a great time. There were some fantastic rounds and great jumpers.

I received some really good feedback too on the course layouts. Two were really good and flowing but one needs some tweeking. So this week I will ride that course and make adjustments and notes for next time I use that course.

It was a wonderful day and met some wonderful people. Look forward to next year!

Eventing is a sport of three individual events. It is not enough to be great and one and then average at the others, yet the goal is to become great at all three. This does take time, practice and a strong conviction. For many, there are great opportunities. For those starting out, it is sometimes hard to find trainers and facilities to learn.

Stoney Acres is just that place. We offer a full length cross country course as well as dressage and show jumping. Our goal is to provide a safe, friendly, learning environment for horse and rider.

On Aug 25th we did just that. A small group took part in a cross country clinic and mock mini event. Riders ranged from brand new to eventing, retaining and seasoned.

We are proud to be one of the few facilities in the area to offer this opportunity and look forward to bringing eventing to the masses!

Well, it has been a very long and exciting first summer at Stoney Acres. We purchased and moved into the farm this past April and it has been alot of work, but rewarding as well.

Our first priority was setting up pastures for the horses. We have been able to get four pastures up and running so this has been wonderful for rotating. We have been very lucky and all the horses are still on pasture, even through the drought, and we have not had to feed hay.

Speaking of hay, that has been a chore. Moving to a new neighborhood with already spoken for hay sales in the area did prove challenging. I have made about 20 phone calls and have made some great contacts in the area. Networking at it’s finest. We were able to secure hay for the winter from a neighbor and at a really good rate yet.

Outside at Stoney Acres we have been busy. The arena has been tilled and taken care of by Rob and “Drippy” the Tractor every couple of weeks and the footing is wonderful. Great for jumping and also not too deep for dressage. The lawns have been cut and we are starting to tame down some of the overgrowth and weeds. Six years of neglect takes alot of elbow grease.

We were blessed to have Nicki Butler offer clinics at the farm this past year. She has been really great for not only my personal horses but also our boarders and several trailer ins. Clinics offered this year included flat/jumping, cross country, a mock mini, and our upcoming jump show.

Cross Country. The art of galloping through fields and jumping large, unmovable objects. This has been the largest project this summer. We were fortunate to receive free timbers and poles from a local sawmill as well as our great friend April. It has been a labor of love, and I believe that it has turned out great. It’s a chance to school for those upcoming events or train young/new horses. There are a total of 19 jumps including standard logs and coops. There are also tires, barrels and tables. There are also less seen jumps like tiger traps, trakehners and a ditch. More plans on the table for next year too. This has proven to be a great course as there are jumps for beginners as low as 1 foot through Novice with jumps to 3 foot. It is also full length for Novice, so even if you don’t jump, it’s a great exercise track.

Our August 25 mock mini/clinic was small but a hit. One horse was a first level dressage horse and did wonderful on cross country. Getting outside and trying something new is always exciting.

Stoney Acres is not only home to four personal horses, but also has two boarders. We are very fortunate to have two great horses and families to share and grow both the company but also their experiences.